Potatoes

[Jamjar74]

Potatoes in my small vegetable patch are ready to come out. Does cutting off the foliage stop the potatoes from growing further? If so how long can they be left in the ground before harvesting.

We have grown too many and after inundating our neighbours wondered also about the best way to store.

Many thanks.

[Maydup]

No need to worry about them. We grow plenty are there are only the two of us, so I dig up a few a couple of times a week and carry on doing that all summer.

They will be fine left in the ground. Leave the tops alone, they will go a bit yellow and wither to nothing, but the spuds will be fine in the ground for two or three months. Only dig up as many as you can eat, new ones don't store well indoors. Enjoy!

[Chipchopper]

I can't see any benefit in the foliage (haulms) off, leaving them on will at least give you a clue as to where the tubers are.
Having said that I have heard that some gardeners like to remove the small green,poisonous berries that appear after the flowers, with the notion that the energy will be redirected to the tubers and not the true seed in the berries, thus slowing down the harvest.

[Jamjar74]

Thank you both, am learning a bit each year.

[dancecaller]

The advantage in cutting down the haulm is to stop spores of Potato blight getting onto the tubers (mine went down early, and hard this year). If the leaves are blotchy remove the haulms, then wait for any spore on the soil to die before harvesting for storage (OK if you are eating now).
If you leave them in the ground you may lose them to slugs and rodents.
RHS says "With maincrops for storage wait until the foliage turns yellow, then cut it and remove it. Leave for 10 days before harvesting the tubers, leaving them to dry for a few hours before storing."

Let the skins of the spuds dry before you put them in store (I spread them on a paper sack, rub any damp soil off roll over and repeat). Store the perfect ones in a paper sack or cardboard boxes. And that are damaged or look odd use soonest. I keep mine till Christmas (not enough to last longer).